BETTER ALTERNATIVES MADE WITH PLANETARY RESPECT
RESPONSIBILITY
At ASK Scandinavia, we believe that achieving a less harmful industry requires interconnecting all efforts. No aspect of responsibility exists in isolation; each impact pillar is essential to creating a kinder and less polluting fashion industry.
Our promise is to help you lower your impact by creating timeless and planet-kind products.
We use the most innovative, vegan and low-impact materials available to us to inspire change. We look to constantly evolve as new materials come available.
We work with carefully selected factories in Europe with ethical working conditions who we know and visit personally. We are aware of the whole supply chain and only work with trusted partners.
We are committed to improving our practises and are constantly looking for different ways to do this.
We invest heavily in rigorous research and take bold actions to materialize our values and promises to you. We put true love, thought, and tireless effort into every piece we create. Every piece must be versatile, timeless, and made with materials at the forefront of innovation to support the fight against the pollution of the industry.
OUR COMPANY VALUES
PLANET
We use MIRUM® and ECONYL® as our main materials to make our bags. They are some of the most innovative materials available made with planetary respect and created for circularity.
PEOPLE
We work with small factories in Europe, this helps us have better insight to all the steps in the supply chain because there are less layers to the structure.
ANIMALS
We do not use animal-derived leather, feathers, or fur in our products. Both MIRUM® and ECONYL® are animal-free materials made with respect for everyone on the planet.
ENVIRONMENTAL WELFARE
Operating with planetary respect to create value and beauty. It all begins with your values and then we build our policies, translate our research and tight sourcing operations, and continue with ongoing work towards a circular fashion industry as our goal.
The fashion industry has an enormous impact on the environment and therefore it has a great impact on climate which we are committed as a brand to reduce by taking action and materializing our goals and to regenerate the health of Earth and its inhabitants.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
At ASK Scandinavia, we prioritize human welfare and health in our supply chains. We consciously opt for short supply chains and exclusively collaborate with small factories, maintaining close
oversight of operations as a small brand.
Before forging partnerships, we extensively vet our manufacturing allies, ensuring alignment with our values through a comprehensive list of questions. Our selection process is grounded in rigorous research, emphasizing long-term relationships that are mutually beneficial.
Recognizing the complexity of supply chains, we streamline our collections, using minimal materials and favoring repeat styles for reorders with our trusted partners. This approach ensures a steady income stream and reduces resources spent on prototyping, fostering a harmonious working environment.
Through these efforts, we uphold high standards of social responsibility, prioritizing the welfare and health of all involved in our supply chain.
Our future efforts will include becoming Fair Wear Foundation members, this is not available to us at this time because of our small scale productions. Meanwhile, we work with Code of Conducts to align on standards.
INNOVATIVE MATERIALS
MIRUM®
MIRUM® is a next-generation material made without plastic or petrochemicals—offering a low-impact alternative to both synthetic and animal-based leathers.
Low Carbon Footprint:
MIRUM®’s life cycle analysis (LCA), conducted by NFW and Anthesis, shows it produces only 30–40% of the emissions of synthetic leather, and just 5% of conventional leather.
100% Bio-based & USDA Certified:
MIRUM® is made entirely from natural ingredients and holds a USDA 100% bio-based certification.
FSC® Certified Natural Rubber:
The natural rubber used is sourced from FSC-certified forests, supporting conservation and ensuring no deforestation.
Climate Beneficial™ Textile Backing:
The backing is certified by Fibershed as Climate Beneficial™, meaning it helps increase soil health and carbon capture while reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides.
Non-Toxic & Safe:
Tested by the University of Georgia, MIRUM® is proven to be non-toxic and free from substances restricted by REACH. It’s also Oeko-Tex® certified by Hohenstein Labs, ensuring no harmful substances.
Naturally Dyed & Water-Free:
MIRUM® is colored with , and its production process requires no additional water input—meaning zero wastewater is created during manufacturing.
ECONYL®
ECONYL® is a regenerated nylon made from waste and designed to be recycled again and again—helping to close the loop in fashion.
Saves Natural Resources:
For every 10,000 tons of ECONYL® raw material produced, approximately 70,000 barrels of crude oil are saved, significantly reducing environmental impact.
Made from Waste:
ECONYL® is made by Aquafil using materials like:
- Discarded fishing nets
- Old carpets headed for landfill
- Pre-consumer industrial waste (e.g. plastic components and scraps)
- Other textile waste collected via take-back programs
Certified & Responsible:
ECONYL® yarn is OEKO-TEX® and GRS certified, and fully REACH compliant, ensuring it meets high environmental and safety standards.
Low-Maintenance & Microplastic Conscious:
Our ECONYL® fabric is wipe-clean, which often eliminates the need for machine washing—minimizing microfiber shedding into water systems.
Designed for Circularity:
ECONYL® is infinitely recyclable without losing quality, meaning it can be regenerated again and again without needing new resources.
Locally Made in Europe:
ECONYL® yarn and fabric are made in Italy, and the quilted version used in our OCEAN Collection is finished in Feuchtwangen, Germany, with recycled wadding. The final products are crafted in Sastamala, Finland.
OTHER CERTIFIED MATERIALS
We use GRS-Certified Polyester to line all ECONYL® products.
We use GOTS-Certified Cotton on our dust bags that are made in Portugal. We do not bleach or dye the cotton for minimized footprint.
THOUGHTFUL PACKAGING
Our packaging is now 100% Climate Neutral, made from paper produced using renewable energy in a Nordic mill. The paper comes from FSC-certified Nordic forests, ensuring it’s both sustainable and responsibly sourced.
We also stay true to our roots: all paper and cardboard materials are fully recyclable and biodegradable, and we continue to repurpose packaging materials whenever possible—because every small step matters.
NOT OUR MATERIALS
We proudly refrain from using animal-derived textiles, leather, or fur in our products. Instead, we utilize PETA Vegan-approved materials.
By abstaining from the use of fur and leather, we actively contribute to several planetary benefits:
- Our choice to not use fur and leather reduces the demand for intensive farming practices, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture.
- Our choice to not use fur and leather helps mitigate habitat destruction for livestock, safeguarding biodiversity and crucial carbon sinks such as forests.
- Our choice to lowering the demand for animal products decreases water usage in farming, particularly significant in regions grappling with water scarcity due to climate change.
- Our choice to reducing demand for animal-derived materials, mitigate pollution from animal waste and emissions, alleviating strain on local ecosystems and communities.
Our commitment extends beyond environmental concerns. We recognize the intrinsic link between the welfare of animals and the well-being of our planet. As stewards of the Earth, we actively work to reduce pollution in the fashion industry, thus safeguarding the welfare of the animal kingdom.
NOT OUR MATERIALS EITHER
We refrain from using PVC, PU, viscose from endangered forests, materials that cause deforestation, sandblasted materials, materials that contain restricted harmful substances.
Through these actions, we uphold our commitment to sustainability and ethical practices, ensuring a better future for both animals and the environment.
PRE-ORDER
We follow a seasonless, pre-order model to avoid overproduction, reduce waste, and create more responsibly. By only producing what’s been ordered, we minimize excess inventory and the environmental footprint of our collections.
Each product is crafted in small batches, based on real demand, with high-quality European craftsmanship—built to last, be loved, and eventually passed on.
Pre-ordering also gives us time to source materials more efficiently and plan production with care, ensuring fewer resources are wasted. It’s a slower but smarter approach to fashion.
We design intentionally: for example, our Holly cardholder is cut from the leftover space between our Willow and Clover bag patterns. We also reuse off-cuts, and our partner factories recycle any materials we can’t repurpose ourselves.
Because we don’t chase fast-moving trends, we’re able to use the same materials across seasons, keeping our material portfolio tight and sustainable. Product samples are sold or donated—nothing is thrown away.
PRODUCTION
We are proud to say that all of our products are made in Europe: Finland, Italy and Hungary. We consistently partner with small scale factories and workshops to ensure easier oversight of operations and a closer connection with the manufacturers.
ITALY
FINLAND
HUNGARY
CIRCULARITY
We are committed to becoming a fully circular brand—designing with durable, regenerative, and restorative materials that support long-term use, reuse, and responsible end-of-life solutions.
RESALE
As a small and growing brand, we currently don’t have enough volume to participate in traditional resale platforms. However, we’re actively working on creating a resale option directly through our website, so our customers can give their ASK products a second life. We're also exploring partnerships with leading resale platforms to be ready when the time is right.
REPAIR
At this time we have repair services available in Finland and we are working on extending this service to where our customers live. In addition we work closely with our customers on an 1 on 1 to support them with care guidance and instructions.
RECYCLABILITY
We are in active discussions with disassembly and recycling partners, including NFW, to join their take-back program once we reach the necessary product volume. Though we’re still small, we are laying the groundwork to ensure responsible end-of-life solutions are in place when needed.
RENTAL
We believe in sharing over ownership to reduce the environmental impact of fashion. That’s why we offer rental options directly through our website—making it easier to access ASK products in a more sustainable and flexible way.
RESTORE
Whenever possible, we launch limited-edition capsule collections crafted from our leftover materials. While this is rare—due to our minimalist, long-term material portfolio—it allows us to avoid waste and keep materials in use. We also offer samples for purchase, giving each product a chance to be loved and used.
AREAS WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS
MIRUM is currently only available from Peoria, Illinois. As NFW scale and start producing in Europe, we will be one of the first to order from that manufacturing facility.
We strive to use 100% bio-based haberdashery for construction for our BIO-LEATHER Collection. We are in the progress of starting testing quality and performance where there are available bio-based solutions. Unfortunately, not everything is available in bio-based yet.
As we continue to operate, we keep striving for our goals to use regenerative and restorative materials.
The more we know, the more we can do. Therefore, as we grow we are looking to increase our efforts in transparency and traceability by giving all of our products a Digitial Product Passport and have already started conversations with solutions providers.
Measure our impact with a third party solutions provider. We aim to get started with one of the solution provers we are in conversation with in the near future.